SheWolf : Story Retold - Kamisama Kiss

Chapter 16: Confusion

  *Edit*  For those of you who read this chapter before August 1st:

I think you may have read the unfinished version because my mobile app had messed with the finished chapter and I ended up having to rewrite the whole thing. 

But otherwise - ENJOY!!

...........................................................

I'm not quite sure how long I was asleep for. In fact, I didn't even realise I fell asleep in the first place. Until I blinked open my eyes to find that the winter sun that had shone over us in the morning had already settled itself in the western skies, that is. It must be well past lunch time.

Hearing footsteps crunch in the yellowed grass, I turned to see Tomoe striding out towards where I sat leaning against the bare trunk of a towering cherry blossom.

Unsure as to how I should respond to his presence after the rather hectic morning, I, to my own shame, chose the coward's path, proceeding to act as if nothing had changed. And nothing had, of course. Nothing will change the fact that he was a murderer.

But so were you.

A small voice in my head whispered, sending a shudder down my spine.

No. I wasn't.

I tried hard to push the voice away. I'd long since decided to never revisit those memories, not allow it to darken my mind ever again.

Instead, with a deep breath to steel my resolve, I pointedly looked away from Tomoe, looking behind me instead to the trees that surrounded me. What met my gaze though, was an exhausted Nanami sleeping under a pile of scattered white talismans. A brush dangled loosely between her fingers, ink running into what was becoming a picturesque stain on the picnic blanket. More talismans fluttered from where they hung on branches and trunks of the trees all around us. Bloom, they read. Some brushed the top of Tomoe's head as he walked by.

"Guess I forgot to tell her." Nonchalantly, he walked towards Nanami.

"Tell her what?" I asked as I glanced out at him from the corner of my eyes.

"White talismans don't just make things magically happen. They use the energy of the wielder to present in physical form the object or action that's been written. The effectiveness differs depending on how much energy is able to be processed, that's why I used to test her powers. But even if they are the weakest of the talismans, writing that many at once when you can't even change water to sake ... She's too reckless." Tomoe sighed, long and deep. "No wonder she's passed out."

Bending down, he hooked his arms under her knees, intending to carry her, I assume, back into the main house. But Nanami wasn't even two inches off the ground before she twisted out of his grip, thudding not so gently back onto the ground. Thankfully - or incredulously - the only thing that suggested she even felt a thing was the frown that flew across her face.

Sighing, Tomoe crouched to get a better grip on her, but much to his avail, Nanami just tumbled out of his grasp again. It was very comical if I weren't cringing as she fell each time in progressively more unnatural positions. After several more unsuccessful tries, with different positions, heights, and leverages, Tomoe was at the end of his patience.

"Oh for the sake of ...! Fine! If you want to sleep out on the ground, go ahead!" Rolling up his sleeves, Tomoe stomped his way back inside. Not a minute later, he stomped back out, this time weighed down by two heavy looking blankets.

Dumping them down unceremoniously, he shook one out with a snap, sending a huff of air dancing across my neck. I peeked at Tomoe cautiously, as he wrapped the blanket around Nanami's sleeping self in a surprisingly gentle manner, even neatly tucking in the edges.